I attended a church recently where the pastor was lamenting the fact that the Christian church has many members who are fans of Jesus but too few who are committed disciples. He described a fan as an enthusiastic admirer who wants to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits but not so close that it requires sacrifice. Fans may feel fine about repeating a prayer, attending church on the weekend, and slapping a fish emblem on their bumpers. Jesus, the pastor said, is not interested in recruiting admirers; he is seeking disciples.

Most people who call themselves Christian would probably say that they are disciples of Christ. It becomes more complicated when we try to define what we mean by "disciple." The words of Jesus found in the portion of the gospel of John that we read earlier …